#I JUST WANT TO SEE MORE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN MAX AND SAFI

[fffionnfoxhell]

can we talk about them? please? they're really so cute.

i really love them very much and need to see more of their interactions.

[mal3nko]

Some of my favorite instances that really highlights the difference between “Living World” vs “Dead World” Vinh for me is how the two versions of him react to Max telling him that she knows about his relationship with Safi.

Obviously the context behind Max bringing up this fact to “Living World” Vinh is because she’s trying to gain as much information from him as possible, and Vinh in this reality is being incredibly cagey and standoffish which leads to a lot of frustration on her part.

And of course Vinh at this point is getting pretty ticked off and irritated by Max, and utilizes his usual smug persona to not only downplay his reaction to her knowing this information, but also tries to subtlety fish for info himself on how she came to know about him and Safi in the process.

But in hindsight, we know Vinh actually cares a lot more about Max knowing this information then he’s initially letting on here considering the fact that he texts her later on in the day questioning where he and her stand after this relatively heated conversation and quietly nudges Max to not say anything about his relationship with Safi. This is also the only instance where Vinh will text Max at all in this reality.

And then we get to Max dropping this information on “Dead World” Vinh, and his reaction is obviously quite different.

The most obvious difference to me at least, is that he doesn’t even question how Max knows here. Doesn’t really seem to have the energy to, or maybe even just doesn’t think it matters if she knows since Safi is dead in this reality. I’ve wondered for a while now who Vinh in the “Living World” seems to be nervous about this info potentially bothering if it were to spread, and I know some people believe it’s Yasmin, or even Reggie (like myself initially), but looking at it from this angle I really think it’s just…Safi. The two of them hooking up was obviously a secret, most likely a mutual one, so I think Vinh fears that if this information became public knowledge it could potentially upset her, and he definitely can’t have that. Would it have actually upset her though? Maybe, maybe not, but either way he can’t be too careful. But this is just my interpretation, so I don’t want to enforce my take on this whole situation on anyone!

Another difference here is that Vinh actually laments how he should have told Max about him and Safi earlier. Obviously him and Max are much closer in this reality than in the other one, so he’s probably starting to really feel the…”wrongness” of pursuing his ex-“whatever’s” best friend, which is a feeling that is mostly bolstered by the fact that their sudden closeness is happening right after her death. It’s a lot to process, you know?

I can’t stress enough how much I really enjoy the differences in how the cast in DE behave based on which reality you’re in, and I honestly think some of the characters got really shafted in this department when it came to screentime. Loretta specifically in my opinion had so much potential as a whole, but it ultimately felt like her story just… kinda went nowhere? You interact with her “Dead World” counterpart in the first two chapters exclusively, than bump into her “Living World” version for the first time briefly in chapter 3, and then she’s just completely absent in chapter 4 for some reason??

But this is ultimately why I feel like Vinh is just…a cut above all the rest of the characters since we’re actually given a decent amount of time with both versions of him throughout chapters 1-4 to really see the differences in his behavior (even if I do still think we were robbed of actual time with his “Dead World” counterpart in Diptych, sue me).

[mythoughtsandrandomcr4p]

Life is Strange: Double Exposure- Initial thoughts

So. I bought the early access version and want to give my initial thoughts on this game, having played Chapter 1 and some of Chapter 2.

PLEASE DO NOT READ AHEAD IF YOU DON'T WANT TO GET SPOILED!! YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!

First of all, the biggy. The huge issue everyone on social media and who has seen spoilers/played the game is ranting about right now. Some people (actually, a lot of people) are even choosing to refund their purchase, or to not interact with the game at all anymore due to this...

Deck Nine have seemed to dismiss the player's major choice from the ending of LIS 1, where we either chose to sacrifice Chloe or Arcadia Bay. The way they chose to (pretty lazily) write in how Max and Chloe broke up- (via a letter from Chloe, if we chose the 'we broke up' dialogue option at the start of this game)?.....a pretty shitty decision, and, for the majority of fans, seemingly a deal-breaker. A lot of fans are also disappointed in Chloe seemingly not being in this game at all...but I'll write more on that in a sec.

As for my opinions so far...I'm not gonna lie, yes I was a little disappointed and I can fully appreciate why so many people are hating, but it was something I could personally look past (even though I chose bae over bay). Firstly, the trailers and teasers leading up to this early access release pretty much set my expectations for this going in- that Chloe would likely not be a main part of the storyline at all, and that the major choice made at the end of LIS 1 wouldn't be, either. Okay, yes, the writing connecting this game to LIS 1 could have been a lot better. But...

Max is much older, and the story is centred on her time at Caledon, with new friends, a new setting and a new storyline. I went into this game really excited about all of these new things, instead of having my heart set on a game centred around the continuation of LIS 1.

LIS 1- related things aside for a sec... I LOVE the new setting, it's really gorgeous, I love the design of the university and all the new characters we get to meet, the soundtrack is amazing, and I'm just having such a blast playing this game. It's so cosy. And it certainly keeps the charming, cringe-at-times but hilarious dialogue and vibe we get in every other Life is Strange game, and I love it so much. The characters are all pretty unique, too, and I am quickly growing attached to some (and already hating others...lmao). Max's new ability to switch between universes is really well-done. I love using it and seeing all the, often subtle, little differences that really add to the atmosphere and the story-telling of the game imo.

So...personally I am really enjoying Double Exposure so far!

Back to the whole 'Max and Chloe' thing... it feels as though the game could (take this with a pinch of salt) go a certain way in regards to Chloe. I have a theory (a VERY far-fetched one, but a theory, nonetheless). If there is a chance of them actually having Chloe be in this game in Chapters 3, 4 or 5, it might just redeem a bit of respect back from the fandom. I don't think they will, but something in the back of my mind, a slither of hope, if you will, is saying that they might just do this...

So, in Chapters 1 and 2, Max finds polaroids that neither her in the 'Dead World' or her in the 'Living World' have taken. Suggesting that there aren't only two alternate universes. Now, all of these other alternate universes may have only 'opened' to Max in the present, but surely they aren't only influenced by what has happened to Safi. What if an alternate universe, perhaps the one that these mysterious polaroids are from, had Max and Chloe's relationship (or breakup) happen differently? Who's to say that we won't get a sudden, unexpected change in a future chapter where Max and Chloe meet in an alternate reality, where they didn't break up, or where they did break up but differently, or something like that?...I don't fucking know. I'm rambling lmao. I don't want to give false hope. Maybe I'm clutching at straws atp. But in LIS 1, remember when they (Don'tNod) completely baffled us with the whole, sudden 'polaroid time-travel, William being alive and Chloe ending up disabled' reality? If Deck Nine really wanted to take that kind of route with this game, this would be a hell of a way to do it. Take a sudden turn in a non- early access chapter, have people fooled, and all that. But this is Deck Nine- they have a 'reputation', and maybe they just fucked up.

Unless I've missed a crucial point of LIS 1 or LIS: DE where this just would not be possible (?), I just can't help but think that there could still be a little bit of hope for the people who wanted to see Chloe, or who are immensely effected and disappointed by how her and Max's relationship played out according to this game.

Probably not gonna happen, though. Just food for thought. If nothing close to this happens then I'm still going to fully appreciate and love this game either way, as I already currently am.

This is a hell of a waffle, but I just wanted to get all my thoughts down. Would love to hear anyone else's opinions on this whole thing. Do you like this game? Are you avoiding it now after hearing 'the news'? Do you hate Deck Nine? Are my thoughts on a potential turn-around completely wacko? lol. Any and all opinions welcome!

(also, I stream on twitch occasionally. I've been streaming some LIS:DE early access, but I play all sorts of games. if thats your thing and you wanna check out my twitch, my channel is 'splritwolf') :)